Tinicum Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Tinicum Township, more popularly known as "Tinicum Island" or "The Island", a census-designated place
and township in Delaware County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. The population was 4,353 at the 2000 census. Included within the township's boundaries are the communities of Essington and Lester. One of the island's notable aspects is the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum
, attracting visitors to the island year-round.
, was settled by colonial Swedes in 1643. It served as capital of the New Sweden
Colony, under the rule of Royal Governor Johan Björnsson Printz
. Governor Printz built his manor house, The Printzhof
, on Tinicum Island from which he administered the colony. The township was also the site of the Philadelphia Lazaretto
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the township has a total area of 8.7 square miles (22.6 km²), of which, 5.7 square miles (14.9 km²) of it is land and 3.0 square miles (7.7 km²) of it (34.10%) is water.
of 2000, there were 4,353 people, 1,749 households, and 1,136 families residing in the township. The population density
was 758.5 people per square mile (292.8/km²). There were 1,876 housing units at an average density of 326.9/sq mi (126.2/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 89.08% White, 4.80% Black or African American
, 0.07% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.32% from other races
, and 0.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.26% of the population.
There were 1,749 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples
living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the township the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $42,910, and the median income for a family was $49,129. Males had a median income of $37,358 versus $27,134 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $19,203. About 6.8% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.
. It is the district's only township, the remaining municipalities having borough status.
Tinicum School and Interboro High School
serve the township.
is reported to have originated in 1950 in Tinicum Township at Romano's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria, by Nazzareno Romano. There, William Schofield supposedly gave it the name, after the movie Stromboli
, starring Ingrid Bergman
. Other sources claim the stromboli was the brainchild of Mike Aquino, Sr. and that he created it in Spokane, Washington
in 1954.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
and township in Delaware County
Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 558,979, making it Pennsylvania's fifth most populous county, behind Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, and Bucks counties....
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 4,353 at the 2000 census. Included within the township's boundaries are the communities of Essington and Lester. One of the island's notable aspects is the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum
The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum is a 1000 acre National Wildlife Refuge spanning Philadelphia and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania. Located in Tinicum Township, the refuge is adjacent to the Philadelphia International Airport. Established in 1972 as the Tinicum National...
, attracting visitors to the island year-round.
History
Tinicum Township has the distinction of being the site of the first recorded European settlement in Pennsylvania. Fort Nya Gothenborg, located on the South RiverDelaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
, was settled by colonial Swedes in 1643. It served as capital of the New Sweden
New Sweden
New Sweden was a Swedish colony along the Delaware River on the Mid-Atlantic coast of North America from 1638 to 1655. Fort Christina, now in Wilmington, Delaware, was the first settlement. New Sweden included parts of the present-day American states of Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania....
Colony, under the rule of Royal Governor Johan Björnsson Printz
Johan Björnsson Printz
Johan Björnsson Printz was governor from 1643 until 1653 of the Swedish colony of New Sweden on the Delaware River in North America.-Early Life in Sweden:...
. Governor Printz built his manor house, The Printzhof
The Printzhof
The Printzhof, located in Governor Printz Park in Essington, Pennsylvania, was the home of Johan Björnsson Printz, governor of New Sweden....
, on Tinicum Island from which he administered the colony. The township was also the site of the Philadelphia Lazaretto
Philadelphia Lazaretto
The Philadelphia Lazaretto was the first quarantine hospital in the United States, built in 1799, in Tinicum Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The site was originally inhabited by the Lenni Lenape, and then the first Swedish settlers in America...
Geography
Tinicum Township is located at 39°52′8"N 75°17′17"W (39.868962, -75.288273).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the township has a total area of 8.7 square miles (22.6 km²), of which, 5.7 square miles (14.9 km²) of it is land and 3.0 square miles (7.7 km²) of it (34.10%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 4,353 people, 1,749 households, and 1,136 families residing in the township. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 758.5 people per square mile (292.8/km²). There were 1,876 housing units at an average density of 326.9/sq mi (126.2/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 89.08% White, 4.80% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.07% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.32% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.26% of the population.
There were 1,749 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the township the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $42,910, and the median income for a family was $49,129. Males had a median income of $37,358 versus $27,134 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the township was $19,203. About 6.8% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Tinicum Township is part of the Interboro School DistrictInterboro School District
Interboro School District is a school district in southeastern Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia in Delaware County.-Background:The district is made up of four communities: the boroughs of Glenolden, Norwood, and Prospect Park, and Tinicum Township...
. It is the district's only township, the remaining municipalities having borough status.
Tinicum School and Interboro High School
Interboro High School
Interboro High School is a high school located in Prospect Park, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia in Delaware County.As the sole high school in the Interboro School District, students from surrounding communities Glenolden, Norwood, Prospect Park itself, and the two towns of Tinicum Township ...
serve the township.
Birth of the Stromboli
StromboliStromboli (food)
Stromboli is a type of turnover filled with various cheeses, typically mozzarella, Italian meats such as salami, capicola and bresaola or vegetables...
is reported to have originated in 1950 in Tinicum Township at Romano's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria, by Nazzareno Romano. There, William Schofield supposedly gave it the name, after the movie Stromboli
Stromboli (film)
Stromboli is a 1950 Italian-American film directed by Roberto Rossellini and featuring Ingrid Bergman...
, starring Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films. She won three Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and the Tony Award for Best Actress. She is ranked as the fourth greatest female star of American cinema of all time by the American Film Institute...
. Other sources claim the stromboli was the brainchild of Mike Aquino, Sr. and that he created it in Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
in 1954.